GOOD Saturday morning folks and sorry Decomposed for the delayed reply. Yes – in that photo there are a few green tomatoes from the Early Girl who volunteered herself into the perfect position. I have another volunteer with a ripe one that I will pick later this morning along with probably a half pint of cherry tomatoes. I am not sure which variety the larger one is yet I should be able to tell from taste and my notes. Regardless it will make a tasty addition to a breadless BLT!!
Why do you start the panels a foot off the ground? To make the peak higher?
A higher peak is nice yet the main reason I start a foot or so off of the ground is so I can easily work the soil area directly below the panel. Mine are only 6 inches or so yet that is the idea.
Epsom salts in the tomato soil sounds like a good tip too. I haven't heard that one before. How much salt would you recommend per cubic foot of soil? I don't want to poison my plants... Epsom salt, named for a bitter saline spring at Epsom in Surrey, England, is not actually salt but a naturally occurring pure mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate. If you ever have muscle cramps an Epsom salt bath is the best way to get some magnesium into your system. I should also add that my magic tomato transplant mix also has a little lime in it for the calcium, to avoid blossom end rot.
As for preparing a garlic plot, what suggestions would you have? I *have* tested my soil. (Amazon has a do-it-yourself 10-pack of tests for about thirty bucks.) The results were: OK – here is where I suggest biting the bullet and paying $20 to your fair state and having a proper soil test as you guys have bought some questionable items online (night scope anyone LOL!!) and I already question the veracity of the testing. Not your ability – the test itself. For proper soil test material dig small samples 6 inches deep in 8 to 10 different places in your garden – put that in a bucket and mix it all up and then take a sample of that to have it analyzed by the NH AG Department.
ph: 5.4 - which is between “acid” and “very acid” but closer to “acid”.
5.4 is very acidic and that soil would be great IF you are growing acid loving plants like blueberries and azaleas. So you need to add some dolomite lime. Pelletized is the best imho. Your goal is to get your Ph to the perfect zone – 6.3 and you will need 6 to 10 pounds per 100 sq/ft of lime, depending on your soil type, to get the top 6 inches to that zone.
nitrogen: depleted - there is no nitrogen. THIS is why I question this test. Nitrogen testing is not cheap (your test is $3 per) as N is very unstable in soils and in the long run you will be better served to test your soil for humic matter and more importantly CEC, or Cation Exchange Capacity as well as Base Saturation % - all of which should be covered in the NH test yet they do not provide a sample result to see everything they test. Attached is a soil test from 2017 that NC provides for free:
add dried blood (36 oz per 100 sq ft) or nitrate of soda (27 oz per 100 sq ft)
Adding a source of N all depends on if you want to practice organic or inorganic farming. Blood meal is organic and expensive. Chilean Nitrate would be my choice to add N. Also, composted manure initially tilled into your soil will serve your garden better and will provide the potassium you lack. Cover crops like peas, buckwheat or Ethiopian cabbage (new for me this year!) will fixate N and before they flower you mow and then till into the soil to decompose.
phosphorous: sufficient. and “sufficient” means “perfect.” potassium: depleted - there is no potassium. add muriate of potash (9 oz per 100 sq ft). Since you have a woodstove you can also dump your spent wood ash in your garden!!!
Once I augment the soil and tarp it over to kill the grass, what then?
OK – by “augment” I take it you mean amend your soil? You will amend your soil AFTER you ‘tarp the soil” – also known as soil solarization. I had to solarize Bermuda grass in my garden and when done properly it will kill everything. Then you add nutrients (manure etc.) to your soil. You might also consider growing cover crops like peas or buckwheat to fixate nitrogen for your soil. Since you have land I would suggest planning a 4-5 year crop rotation.
Would a 10'x10' area be sufficiently large for a newbie's garlic patch?
I would do a 5 x 20 so you can access the garlic row from both sides. I plant mine in 8 inch rows and 5 inches apart. As far as garlic goes, for your area Romanian Red would be my 1st choice then Chesnok Red. The Romanian has the most allicin and the Chesnok actually tastes sweet when roasted and both are hardneck garlics, meaning you will be able to harvest and enjoy their scapes about 3 weeks before harvest.
When should I plant? Frosts here run from late October to mid-May.
Frost is not an issue as garlic is a very hardy plant!! I plant my garlic late October to early November and the same applies for your area. Heaving might be an issue so you will most likely need to use mulching of some form. Folks are harvesting garlic in your area about now so in the next month, after curing, you should see some for sale at your local farmers markets. IF you cannot find any I know a grower in OR who grows organically as I do and his garlic is top notch! One pound planted can produce 5+ pounds next year.
Good luck with your plants! I see one of your green tomatoes is coming along. Mine only started appearing last week.
Thanks – yea I am looking forward to a mater’ sammich in the not too distant future!! Hope this helps!!
Have a great Saturday y'all
SHALOM
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